Original Articles: 2010 Vol: 2 Issue: 5
Investigating the foliage of Indigofera astragolina for their nutritive and antinutritive composition
Abstract
The fresh foliage of Indigofera astragalina collected from Gwiwa and Arkilla low cost areas
of Wamakko local government area of Sokoto state, Nigeria were dried, powdered and
subjected to nutritive and anti – nutritive investigation. The n-hexane, methanol, and water
extracts prepared from the leaves were found to contain oxalates, phytate,tannins and
cardiac glycosides, The proximate composition revealed the presence of moisture (51.00 ±
0.50 % fresh weight), ash (8.17 ± 0.58 % dry weight, DW), crude lipid (5.0 ± 0.5 % DW),
crude fibre (2.67 ± 0.29 % DW), crude protein (8.23 ± 0.11 % DW) and carbohydrate (75.94
± 0.64%). The Anti – nutritive compositions which are oxalate (2.26 ± 00mg/100g), phytate
(12.26 ± 0.01mg/100g), cynogenic glycoside (0.24 ± 0.00mg/100g) and tannins (3.05 ±
0.02mg/100g). They also contained vitamin C (21.13mg/100g). The results of the analyses
were compared with other green leaves consumed. These results releaved that the leaves of
Indigofera astragalina contained medicinal agents.